After an extensive stent selling firearms in a high traffic range as one of their hunting specific weapons specialists, I’ve realized 3 very definitive facts about new hunters. First, the wide range of brands and calibers can become exceptionally overwhelming to many new adventurers. Second, the propensity to rely on social media groups rather than definitive resources has led to a vast cavern between viable knowledge and dangerous missconceptions. And third, the simpler you make the concept with as few variables as possible, the easier it is to wrap your mind around the remarkably large world of hunting firearms. For these reasons, AJ and I felt it would be benificial for new hunters to have a simple, 4 point, foundation to use as they begin building their hunting knowledge library.
How Our Backgrounds Influenced our Choices
AJ and I have our own favorites and preferences when it comes to firearms. We’ve experimented over the years with different calibers and a variety of manufacturers. Everything has a purpose and an ideal use. Choosing a firearm for your hunting adventures is no different. When we hunt rabbit or squirrel, we have our preferred .22 LRs. Boar and deer, we very a bit. Depending on what you want to start your hunting adventures pursuing, you’re going to have your preference as well.
Local shooting ranges and firearms stores can have very competent and knowledgeable staff ready to help you pick the right firearm. Unfortunately, not everyone behind those counters will be knowledgable about hunting weapons and even fewer will know the hunting regulations. If you are one of those newly budding hunters who has found herself not getting the grounded knowledge she needs to make an informed decision, this breakdown of hunting firearms will start you down the right path.
When I started shooting, a 12 gauge shotgun was put in my hands and I was told to shoot the objects flying through the air. I wasn’t given a great deal of instruction on how the firearm worked or why it functioned the way it did. I just pulled the trigger, loaded a new round, and pulled the trigger again. Being what was considered a “natural” at skeet shooting, no one felt the need to teach me the details of the mechanics and I never thought to ask. Jump ahead 15 or so years and I was still in a predicament where I didn’t understand why or how the machine in my hands worked. I just knew how to fire it and had fun doing so. It didn’t take long, though, for me to discover that I would need to know substantially more if I was going to expand my activities beyond the occasional skeet shooting adventure into actual hunting.
Types of long-guns
Now, we’re not going to get into the details of every form of firearm used for hunting. That would be entirely too involved for all of our attention spans. For now, let’s focus on the three main guns popular with new modern hunting.
Shotguns
When you’re hunting something that flys through the air, be it ducks, cranes, doves, geese, or something else, you’re going to want a shotgun. You are pretty much limited to 4 actions: pump, lever, semi-auto, or break action. These choices may be limited by the area you choose to hunt in, so always check with your local fish and game agency.
We’ve compiled a list of the agencies for all 50 states in our article Successful Hunts in 5 Steps for New Hunters
The same regulating agency will frequently determine what gauge you are allowed to use (10, 12, 16, 20, 28, or 410) and what size cartridges you will be required to use. Most commonly, you will use a 12, 20, or 410 for hunting.
12 gauge is arguably the most common hunting gauge on the market. It is sufficient for everything from pheasant to bear and will, with the correct cartridge, take down your target with minimal damage to the meat. Anything smaller than pheasant (especially rabbit, squirrel, and quale) you’re best choice is going to be a 20 gauge or 410.
Yes, 20 is a larger number than 12. No, a 20 gauge is not a larger “bullet” than a 12 gauge.
In the world of shotguns, the larger the number, the smaller the cartridge. I know, it goes completely against the rules of logic for modern measurements, but there was a method to their madness.
The original sizing was determined by the number of equally sized projectiles that would be able to fit in the shell (casing) to equal one pound of “shot.” In a 20 gauge, for the projectiles to be equal in size, they had to be smaller, so it took more to amount to one pound. 20 pieces, to be exact. A 12 gauge, with a larger bore, allowed for larger projectiles to be used. As a result, it only took 12 projectiles to equal a pound. For now, however, your one takeaway is that 12 gauge is going to be bigger than 20 which means you’ll have a bigger cartridge, more recoil, and a stronger projectile capable of inflicting more damage on your target.
So, to choose the best shotgun for you, ask yourself these questions:
What am I hunting?
Bear–12
Boar–12
Deer–12
Duck–12
Goose–12
Dove–12 or 20
Rabbit–20
Squirrel–20
Turkey–12
Pheasant–12
Snipe–20
If I am required to use a shotgun, are there gauge or style restrictions for me?
Successful Hunts in 5 Steps has a list of the game agencies for all 50 states. This would be a good place to start with learning what your restrictions will be.
Then you can begin looking into the different brands of shotguns produced to meet your requirements.
Remington, Browning, Weatherby, Stoeger, Winchester, and Mossberg make shotguns well suited to Turkey hunting (just to name a few).
Savage, Winchester, Remington, Browning, Benelli, Weatherby, and Mossberg make models excellent for deer and boar hunting.
If you find a manufacturer that you like, that provides the features you prefer, you are likely to find a shotgun that can accommodate all or most of the target species you intend to pursue. A multi-purpose weapon will give you better piece of mind from a financial standpoint, and help you hone your shooting skills before advancing to the more game specific specialty weapons.
Bolt action rifles
Modern rifles popular among hunting enthusiasts are either bolt action or semi-automatic. The bolt actions are considered more of the “traditional” style of hunting while semi-automatic is considered more “modern.” In the true timeline of firearms, however, both are modern firearms.
There are a few significant advantages to choosing a bolt action rifle for your hunting.
For starters, they have fewer moving parts than a semi-automatic. The fewer moving parts your weapon has, the fewer malfunctions you may have to face while in the field.
Add to this their versatility. Almost every caliber manufactured today can be found in a bolt action rifle. Semi-automatics are still limited to about 15-20 calibers. Yes, that seems like a lot until you realize over 150 calibers of rifle ammunition are currently in production.
Another, huge, advantage to bolt actions are the prices. Unless you find a remarkable deal, you are looking at a couple hundred dollars more for a semi-auto rifle in the same caliber as an equivalent bolt action rifle.
One frequently overlooked advantage is the spent cartridge. A semi-automatic rifle is designed to eject the cartridge as soon as the bullet is fired. This can result in spent casings being thrown several feet away from your position. When you’re in the forest, surrounded by grass and fallen leaves, you are going to be spending a significant amount of time searching for a cartridge. A bolt action rifle will allow you to eject the casing when you are ready and monitor where it lands or remove it manually so you will not have to search for it later.
Many public lands, and private as well, require you to collect your spent casings when hunting.
Semi-automatic Rifles
Your third option is a semi-auto. The most recognizable model of the Semi-automatic rifle is the AR (ArmaLite) 15. While there are other platforms available, the most common format you will find on today’s market is this AR-15 style. Why are they becoming a popular option for hunters? Two major advantages stand out:
One, their design provides significantly reduced recoil compared to bolt action rifles of the same caliber. Especially for new or lighter framed hunters, this can provide a significant advantage.
Two, there are fewer user actions required for shooting. With a round primed and ready for fire, all the shooter has to do is pull the trigger. The gun, itself, fires the bullet, ejects the spent cartridge, loads the next round, and resets the firing pin for the next round.
These two advantages are significant for many hunters. As discussed above, however, the local regulations may prevent the use of these modern firearms for all or some of your hunting season.
So you’ve decided on the type of rifle you want, but how do you choose the caliber?
Remember when I mentioned earlier that there’s over 150 caliber’s in production these days? Truth of the matter is, a rifle can be found in almost every caliber produced. Reality of the situation, however, is that not every caliber is suitable for hunting. While bow hunters are focused on that 20-60 yard range, rifle hunters are looking more at a 100-200 yard range (most of the time).
Of all those calibers, which ones do you really need to focus on as a beginner?
.223 Remington
A .223 Remington bullet can travel almost 4,000 yards (NRA) but its accuracy will be significantly diminished after 200 yards and will be generally ineffective after 300 yards. This makes it a decent choice for varmints (rabbit, coyote, smaller pigs, goats) and even short-distance smaller deer. Keep in mind, however, that it is not legal to use a .223 for deer in some states. Once you start getting into larger or thicker-skinned animals you’re going to want a bullet with a bigger kick.
One side note here is that the 5.56 NATO is the equivalent size to the .223 Remington, is commonly interchangeable (a subject for later research if you are interested), and is equally effective at the same ranges on the same potential game. You are not getting a significantly larger or more powerful firearm if you choose the 5.56 NATO over the .223 Remington, just more ammo options. I mention this, because many dealers today, present the 5.56 NATO as an upgrade or a step up from the “introductory” format of the .223 Remington.–Food for thought: A .223 bullet can be fired in a 5.56 NATO Rifle. A 5.56 NATO can not be fired in a .223 rifle.–
.308 Winchester
The .308 is one of the most popular calibers on today’s market for mid-sized game. It is a solid choice for short to mid-range shots when hunting deer, elk, pronghorn, moose, and even smaller bears. Many hunters have used the .308 at 700 yards with little to no loss of effectiveness. While I would never recommend a new hunter attempt such long-distance shots, it is still reassuring to know the effectiveness of your chosen weapon will be consistent beyond the distances you may anticipate needing. Another advantage to the .308 is that the diameter of the bullet combined with its overall weight and velocity will provide adequate damage to drop your target quickly without causing significant damage to the meat.
One other factor to consider for the .308 is its versatility. By selecting a lighter grain bullet (110-125 grain) you can easily use the gun for varmint at 100 yards or less. To upgrade to mid-range shots or larger game (deer, elk, etc) simply upgrade to a 150-180 grain bullet. As a new shooter, you’ll be dealing with a bit more recoil than a .223 Remington, but gain a significant range of versatility.
6.5 Creedmoor
A rather new caliber on the market is the 6.5 Creedmoor. Originally designed for long-range competitive shooters, the bullet has found a solid following among hunters as well. As designed by Hornaday, the 6.5 Creedmoor has significantly less recoil than the .308, exceptionally consistent long-range accuracy, is a relatively low-cost round, is capable of handling short action weapons, and has better wind resistance due to its flat trajectory. These are all qualities prized by the hunting community. Since its introduction to the market in the early 2000s, the 6.5 Creedmoor has grown in popularity due to its accuracy and impact on target game. Even at long distances (400 yards and more) it can carry the same impact and stopping power as the .308 with less cost per bullet and less recoil. The major disadvantage, however, is the barrel degradation. While a .308 is estimated to handle 5,000 rounds before noticeable degradation to the barrel, a 6.5 Creedmoor is expected to show signs of wear at approximately 2,500 rounds.
Keep in mind, the degradation I’m referring to is minute changes in the barrel that a typical hunter will almost never notice. This is fraction of a millimeter type changes that a competitive shooter who fires thousands of rounds every month will notice. It is, however, a wear on the gun that any gun owner should be aware of.
.30-06
Looking at the designation, you may think there is a size difference between this .30-06 and other common .30 caliber bullets you may have heard of. In reality, this is still a .30 caliber bullet. In 1906 the .30 caliber bullet was tweaked, ever so slightly, to adequately fit the M1903 Springfield being used by the US Army. As a modified .30 caliber they opted to give it its own designation. Military personnel returning home were so comfortable with its accuracy, capabilities with long-distance shots (even in heavy winds), and its versatility that they continued using it for their hunting endeavors. The popularity quickly expanded to civilian hunters as well. To this day, it is one of the most popular, most frequently used, and most accessible hunting calibers on the American market.
AJ and I each started our hunting adventures with a .30-06 and found them to be exceptionally accurate, easy to use, and easy to learn. While there is a bit of a recoil with this platform, modern rifles allow for modifications that can reduce the impact of the recoil as well as modifications that can help the user stabilize the weapon during targeting. We are, both, rather thankful that we started our hunting paths with this choice of caliber.
So, in a nutshell, what should you choose?
Ultimately, the choice is yours. Your goal should always be to legally and ethically take down your target game the best way possible for you. That being said, there are a lot of options to make each person’s choice customized to her needs and comfort level.